The EU has approved Microsoft’s bid to takeover Activision.
The European Union giving the greenlight to the tech giant’s attempt to acquire the video game company comes after the UK’s Competition and Market Authority blocking the deal three weeks ago.
The purchase - which has split the gaming industry - is set to be the most significant one in the sector’s history but has divided competition regulators across the world and can only go ahead when the US, EU and UK bodies all permit it to do so.
Currently, only the EU’s European Commission have given it the OK to go ahead after they found Microsoft had addressed their worries about the purchase.
In their ruling, the EC said: "The commitments fully address the competition concerns identified by the Commission and represent a significant improvement for cloud gaming as compared to the current situation,"
This vote of confidence in the deal - which would see Activision’s back catalogue be available to EU residents via their Xbox consoles - comes after the United States’ regulator, the Federal Trade Commission, filed a lawsuit late last year to stop the deal and will not be ruled on until late 2023.
After the EU gave their judgement, the CMA reiterated their opposition to the deal.
Sarah Cardell, the body’s regulator, said: "Microsoft's proposals, accepted by the European Commission today, would allow Microsoft to set the terms and conditions for this market for the next 10 years.
"They would replace a free, open and competitive market with one subject to ongoing regulation of the games Microsoft sells, the platforms to which it sells them, and the conditions of sale.
"This is one of the reasons the CMA's independent panel group rejected Microsoft's proposals and prevented this deal."
